1. Field of the Invention
In general, the present invention relates to sports goals, such as those uses as goals for soccer, hockey, lacrosse and the like. More particularly, the present invention relates to sports goals that are foldable or otherwise collapsible into a shape that is easier to store and carry.
2. Prior Art Description
Many sports, such as soccer, hockey, field hockey, lacrosse, and the like use goals that rest upon the ground. Such goals vary in dimensions depending upon the rules of the game being played. A great multitude of undersized goals also exist for use in practice and unofficial backyard play.
Regardless of the size of the goal, sports goals tend to be large and bulky. As such, sports goals are difficult to package, difficult to transport to a sports field, and difficult to carry onto a sports field. It is for these reasons that many collapsible sports goals are available in the marketplace. Collapsible sports goals are goals that are designed to be folded or disassembled when not in use. Such sports goals typically come in two styles. The first style uses a flexible spring wire as the frame of the net. The flexible wire enables a net to be folded upon itself and flattened. Such prior art sports goals are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,433 to Armell, entitled Flexible Sports Goal. However, the spring wire must be continuous and have curved corners in order to spring back into its unfolded shape. Accordingly, the sports net cannot have a rectangular shape that is associated with most sports goals.
Another type of collapsible sports goal is the kind designed to be quickly assembled and disassembled. These sports goals typically have straight poles and corner connectors that interconnect the various poles to form the sports goal. Such prior art sports goals are U.S. Pat. No. 7,125,351 to Raber, entitled Portable Foldable Goal Assembly. The problem associated with sports goals that are assembled on site is that it takes time and effort to erect the sports goal. Furthermore, since the sports goal comes disassembled in pieces, all the pieces must be stored and carried together. If one small piece gets misplaced, it may not be possible to properly assemble the sports goal.
A need therefore exists for a sports goal that is collapsible, yet does not disassemble. A need also exists for a sports goal that forms a goal with square corners and wherein the sports goal can be erected using very little labor and time. These needs are met by the present invention as described and claimed below.